November 2020 - BlueBlox

Israel as a Part of the WTO

November 3, 2020 LaetitiaOur Opinion

Everyone around the world knows about Israel and its rich history, both cultural and religious. Although this country is constantly challenged with political and military issues, they have been a member of the WTO since 21 April 1995, and a […]

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New global trade alert system launched to boost market access for developing countries

(Geneva) – A new online alert system designed to help government agencies and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) keep track of the latest information on regulatory requirements for international trade was launched today (8 November) by the United... [...]

Equipping TISIs to drive membership and increase revenues

Enhancing the efficiency of Trade and Investment Support Institutions (TISIs) from across East Africa and beyond was the focus of a two-day workshop held by the International Trade Centre (ITC) in collaboration with the Zanzibar National Chamber of Commerce,... [...]

Myanmar to launch Kayah State as tourist destination at World Travel Market 2016

(Geneva) – A little-visisted region of Myanmar is to be launched as a new tourist destination at the World Travel Market 2016, an important tourism trade fair, in London between 7 and 9 November. The launch of Kayah State as a tourist destination is... [...]

Asian exporters to gain better access to Chinese market

Exporters in Bangladesh, Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Nepal are better positioned to access the Chinese market following training from the International Trade Centre (ITC).A series of training workshops organized in each... [...]

ITC and Expertise France launch EU-funded Libya Entrepreneurship Programme

(Paris, Geneva and Tripoli) – The International Trade Centre (ITC) and Expertise France today launched the Libya Entrepreneurship Programme, which will provide six-week online training courses for young and aspiring entrepreneurs in Libya. The programme... [...]

DDG Wolff underlines central role of SPS Agreement in facilitating trade in safe food

In his opening remarks at an event marking the 25th anniversary of the WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures, Deputy Director-General Alan Wolff said that the Agreement is more relevant than ever at a time when food safety continues to be a major concern for all WTO members. DDG Wolff called on members to try to anticipate the challenges the next 25 years will bring and to hold open discussions in order to find constructive solutions. This is what he said: [...]

Fisheries subsidies negotiations chair introduces revised draft consolidated text

At a 2 November meeting convened at the level of heads of delegations to the WTO, the chair of the Negotiating Group, Ambassador Santiago Wills (Colombia), presented a revised draft consolidated text for an agreement on fisheries subsidies. The chair said the updated document aims to clarify the text based on members’ discussions, and introduces wording to elaborate on placeholders, with a view to further focusing the negotiations. [...]

DDG Wolff urges start of “serious discussion” on WTO reforms

WTO members should begin a serious discussion on reform of the WTO, Deputy Director-General Alan Wolff said on 30 October. Declaring that “continued drift is unacceptable,” DDG Wolff told a virtual Chatham House discussion on global trade reform that confidence in the WTO would be restored by early successes such as a package of responses to the current health and economic crises brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as agreements in the ongoing negotiations on fisheries subsidies and electronic commerce. His remarks are below. [...]

Anti-Dumping Committee holds first 2020 meeting

The WTO’s Committee on Anti-Dumping Practices met on 28 October to review members’ notifications of new or amended anti-dumping laws and regulations and reports on anti-dumping actions. The meeting was the first for the committee in 2020, following the cancellation of its April meeting due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [...]

Members indicate strong preference for Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as DG but US objects

General Council Chair David Walker of New Zealand and his two co-facilitators in the selection process to choose the WTO’s next Director-General told the organization’s members on 28 October that based on their consultations with all delegations the candidate best poised to attain consensus and become the 7th Director-General was Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria. [...]

Rwanda - Second Rwanda Urban Development Project (RUDP II)

IDA Credit: US$ 75 million equivalent Maturity: 38 years Grace: 6 years IDA Grant: US$ 75 million equivalent Global Environment Facility Grant: US$ 8.07 million Strategic Climate Fund-Pilot Program for Climate Resilience Loan: US$ 2.38 million Maturity: 40 years Grace: 10 years Project ID: P165017 Project Objectives Description: The Project Development Objective is to improve access to basic services, enhance resilience, and strengthen integrated urban planning and management in the City of Kigali and the six secondary cities of Rwanda. [...]

Ghana - Development Finance Project

IDA Credit: $250 million equivalent Maturity: 30 years Grace: 5 years Project ID: P169742 Project Objectives Description: The operation will support the establishment of a financially sustainable development bank to increase access to finance, in particular long-term finance, for viable micro, small, and medium enterprises and small corporates. [...]

Mauritania - Basic Education Sector Support Project - Phase 2

IDA Grant: $40 million equivalent Project ID: P163143 Project Objectives Description: The project will help improve the quality of primary education and service delivery in selected regions. [...]

World Bank Supports the Establishment of the Development Bank Ghana to Boost Access to Finance and Job Creation

WASHINGTON, October 29, 2020 – The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved US$250 million from the International Development Association (IDA)* to support the establishment of the Development Bank of Ghana (DBG) to increase access to long term finance and boost job creation for 10,000 enterprises in key sectors including agribusinesses, manufacturing and high value services. “By offering long-term wholesale financing, credit guarantees, and other services, the Ghana Development Finance project will help increase overall lending to priority sectors and market segments,” said Pierre Laporte, World Bank Country Director for Ghana, Sierra Leone and Liberia. “The project is aligned… [...]

Pour mieux parer à la crise de la COVID-19, le Niger gagnerait à prioriser l’action sanitaire et la protection de l’emploi et des moyens de subsistance

NIAMEY, Niger, 28 octobre 2020 - Selon le nouveau rapport de la Banque mondiale sur la situation de l’économie et de la pauvreté au Niger publié aujourd’hui, la pandémie de la COVID-19 a des répercussions considérables sur l’économie et pourrait provoquer une récession si les nombreux risques qui menacent l’activité économique venaient à se concrétiser. Le ralentissement économique a déjà renversé la tendance à la baisse du taux de pauvreté observée depuis plusieurs années au Niger, avec le basculement de près de 270 000 Nigériens dans la pauvreté cette année. Le rapport « Niger - Note sur la situation de l’économie… [...]

Maroc : Pour un système éducatif performant au sortir de la COVID-19

Le renforcement du capital humain au Maroc constitue un levier puissant pour stimuler la croissance économique, créer des emplois et générer des gains de compétitivité. Selon des estimations de 2018, la richesse par habitant du pays reposait à 41 % sur le capital humain, un chiffre bien inférieur à celui de pays ayant un niveau de développement comparable. La Banque mondiale vient d’actualiser son indice de capital humain (ICH), offrant aux pays l’occasion de dresser un bilan de leurs avancées dans ce domaine. Même si les données du nouvel indice ne reflètent pas les effets immédiats de la pandémie de COVID-19… [...]

المغرب: من أجل نظام تعليمي أقوى في حقبة ما بعد جائحة فيروس كورونا

إن بناء رأس مال بشري أقوى من شأنه أن يسرع وتيرة النمو الاقتصادي ومسار خلق الوظائف وتحسن القدرة التنافسية بالمغرب. وفي عام 2018، ذهبت التقديرات إلى أن رأس المال البشري قد ساهم في نصيب الفرد من الثروة في المغرب بنحو 41%، وهي نسبة أقل بكثير من بلدان ذات مستوى مماثل من التنمية.يتيح مؤشر البنك الدولي لرأس المال البشري المُحدث فرصة للبلدان لتقييم مدى التقدم الذي أحرزته في تكوين رأس المال البشري. ورغم أن المؤشر لا يرصد التأثيرات الفورية لفيروس كورونا (كوفيد-19) على رأس المال البشري، ما من شك في أن تأثير هذه الجائحة سيكون محسوسا في القطاعات الأساسية، مثل التعليم.وباستخدام… [...]

Morocco: A case for building a stronger education system in the post Covid-19 era

Building a stronger Human Capital could accelerate Morocco’s economic growth, job creation trajectory and competitiveness gains. In 2018, Human Capital was estimated to contribute 41 percent to the country’s wealth per capita, a level substantially lower than in countries with a similar level of development. The updated World Bank Human Capital Index (HCI) gives countries an opportunity to take stock of where progress has been made in accumulating human capital. And although the index does not capture the immediate effects of COVID-19 on human capital, there is little doubt that the impact of the disease will be felt on sectors… [...]

GCC Countries Outlook — October 2020

Bahrain: Bahrain’s economy is expected to contract in 2020 due to lower international oil prices and the spread of COVID-19. Fiscal and external deficits are expected to rise sharply in 2020, reversing the narrowing path observed in 2019. Kuwait: While performance in 2020 will suffer from the twin shocks of COVID-19 and the oil price slump, Real GDP in Kuwait is now expected to contract by 7.9% of GDP in 2020 (compared to -5.4% forecasted in June 2020) as non-oil GDP growth is subdued by protracted public health measures and the constrained fiscal mitigation measures. Oil revenues in Kuwait declined… [...]

الآفاق الاقتصادية لدول الخليج — أكتوبر 2020

البحرين: من المتوقع أن ينكمش اقتصاد البحرين في عام 2020 بسبب انخفاض أسعار النفط العالمية وتفشي جائحة كورونا. ومن المرتقب أن يرتفع العجز في المالية العامة والعجز في ميزان المعاملات الخارجية بشدة في 2020، بعد التراجع الذي حدث في كليهما عام 2019. الكويت: في حين أن الأداء في عام 2020 سيعاني من الصدمات المزدوجة لـ COVID-19 وتراجع أسعار النفط ، من المتوقع الآن أن ينكمش إجمالي الناتج المحلي الحقيقي في لكويت بنسبة 7.9٪ من إجمالي الناتج المحلي في عام 2020 (مقارنة بـ -5.4٪ المتوقعة في يونيو 2020) حيث أن نمو إجمالي الناتج المحلي غير النفطي ضعيف بسبب إجراءات الصحة العامة المطولة… [...]